Vehicle-wheel.



E. STANCLIFF.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. I908. RENEWED FEB. 6. 1915.

1,136,377, Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHO1C-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C,

Witnesses: invemar:

EDWIN STANGLIEF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Application filed June 29, 1908, Serial No. 440,835. Renewed February 6,1915. Serial No. 6,641.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN STAN LIFF, acitizen of the United States, residmg in New York city,in the countyofNew York and State of New York, have invented cer-' tain new anduseful hicle-lWheels, specification.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, and is especially adapted foruse in driving wheels for automobiles and other vehicles, and hasparticular reference to that class of wheel known as an eccentric orof]?- center wheel.

The improvements embodied in this invention are particularly applicableto that class of vehicle wheels wherein a center or inner wheel runswithin an outer wheel with sufiicient clearance to place the axis of theinner wheel in eccentric relation to the outer wheel.

Hereinafter in this specification for con venience the inner wheel,owing to the circumstance that it is illustrated as a driving wheel forthe outer wheel, will be called the drive wheel, and outer wheel, sinceit afiords a track surface for the inner or drive wheel, will be calledthe track wheel; when occasion arises to refer to the entire structureit will be called the wheel.

This improvement has for one of its objects that which is mentioned inUnited States Letters Patent No. 892,323 granted to me on June 30, 1908,for wheels, namely, to provide a wheel of this class for automobiles inwhich the drive wheel shall have Improvements in Veof which thefollowing is a such relation to the track wheel that there grippingaction bewill be a load-regulated tween the two wheels, the normaloff-center relation" of the two being somodified and controlled thatinstead of the axis of the drive wheel tending to run forwardly of theaxis of the track wheel said drivewheel axis will normally tend to takea position backward of the axis of thetrack wheel; In the drawingsaccompanying and form ing a part of this specification Figure 1 is adiagram or chart representing the mode of operation of my improvedwheel. Fig. 2 is a broken away portionlof the wheel showing the variousparts of which it is made up; Fig. 3 is a section of the wheel shown inFig- 2; In this figure, however, the entire diameter is shown, whereasin Fig. 2 a segment only of the wheel is illustrated; and Fig. 4is anillustration partly diagrammatic, showing the manner in which the jointsare broken in placing together portions of the frame member of the outerwheel. The wheel, in the form herein illustrated, is represented of acharacter particularly intend ed forautomobile uses, it will, however,be apparent that the improvements may be used for other purposes, andthat the details of construction and proportions of parts may bemodified to suit various conditions and requirements. Fig. 1 shows adiagram, as it were, for illustrating the eccentric or ofi-centerrelation between the inner or drive wheel 5 and the outer or track wheel6. The wheel is assumed to be running from left to right, that is, inthe direction indicated by the arrow 7, consequently the drive wheelwill be running in the direction of the arrow 8 and the track wheel inthe direction of the arrow 9. The horizontal line 10 in tersects theaxis of the track wheel and the horizontal line 11 intersects the axisof the drive wheel. The point of contact between the outer circumferenceor track face of the drive wheel and the inner circumference or trackface of the track wheel is represented at the point 12. The radius line13 runs from such point through the axes-14 and 15 of the drive wheeland track wheel respectively. For a more complete understanding of thephenomena involved in the action of thisclass of wheel and itsadvantages reference is to be had to my said United States LettersPatent.

In my referred to Letters Patent the innencircumference of the trackwheel affords a track face upon which an elastic tire carried by theouter circumference of the drive wheel will run. Flanges are carried bythe outer wheel for engaging the side faces of the said tire. Thisconstruction and arrangement of the several elements operates forproducing a frictional impingement or engagement in the nature of adriving adhesion or gripping action between the said tire and the innerfaces or walls of the flanges tending to carry the track wheel aroundwith the drive wheel, especially when and thus tends to carry the trackwheel axis forwardly or in advance of the drive wheel axis. In practice,the load will normally cause the point of engagement or bearing point ofthe drive wheel to pass alongthe inner surface of the trackwh'eel, andnormally keep near the lower portionof the wheel. In this presentinvention,

other said patent, the inner elastic tire is carried by the track wheel6 and the flanges 21, having faces 22 for the engagement of the sidefaces 23 ofsaid inner tire what, of course,

20, are carried by'the drivewheel 5. .The' drive wheel 5 has a trackface 24: for receiving the tread or track face 25 of the innertire. Thesame general phenomena will be" exhibited 1n this wheel, modified somebythe different relationship of the parts, but similar in kind, as inthatdescribed in the said Letters Patent.

The track wheel in the present instance is made up of a ring whichwillhave enough ring 30 are i- PPlie track wheel and this will have afastening resiliency to absorb someof the shocks or jars to which awheelis subjected when in use. A

Bolted upon the respective sides ofthe inner the 29 hasa fasteningportlon. 33 which will be engaged .by inwardly turned portions orflanges 34 of the rings 31 and 32. A suitable, cushion road tire 35 willbe to the outer circumference of the will be engaged by inportion36which flanges 37 of the rings turned portions or 31 2- The entirestructure of the track wheel embodying through 4 5 r the two tires andthe framework, which in the present illustration embodies the threerings referred to, will be fastened together by suitable means, as forinstance bolts 38, which are shown passing the ring 30 and through theweb portions 39 of the rings 3132. The rings 31 and32 bindtogether thetwo elastic tires 20and 35. Ea'ch'of the rings acts upon the tires afterthe analogy of. a lever'of, the third order. The power is thebolt 38."For holding the tire 35 the Work is at 37 and the fulcrum s, at 3 1.For holding the tire '20 the workis at 3 1 and the fulcrum at 37. Thetires are each elastic. The fulcrum support for the lever in each of itsaspects. is the same material as is that to which the work of the leveris directed. A balanced resistance upon the two tires results I fromthis 1 construction.

In Fig. 41 .a simple means of construction has been illustrated,:whereineach of the rings30, 31 and 32 willbe made up in two halves. The lines40 indicate the juncture betweenthe ends of the rings 32, 'the dottedlines &1 indicate the juncturebetween. the ends of thehalves of the ring30, and the out assembling and which is. an lIIlPlOVQIHBIlt upon thatshown inmy 7 suitable bolts 50; rings 3l 32 respectively. The

dotted lines 12 indicate the junctures between the ends of the halves ofthe ring 31. It will thus be seen thatthe structure can be readilyassembled and disassembled withdisassembling the structale 'of the drivewheel. This will also cheapen the cost of construction. By breaking thejointsin the manner illustrated a very strong structure will beproduced.-

The drive wheel is shown as embodying a hub 45 which will be of somesuitable construction, the hub is shown as having spokes 16 which may bewooden spokes. the flanges 21-21 is showncarried by a base portion 17upon which the track face 24 above alluded to willbe disposed, and fromwhich base portlons inwardly projectflanges have suitable sockets 19 forI Each of ts 19, may be pressed if the flanges 21., hi h Wil permit tremoval of the outer wheel in its entirety. 13y ref re c tQFig-B it wi lbe ee h the inner tire 20 is compressed at thelower Pertion f t wh l hre t i supp r s he loadwhich'islput upon thefwheel, andthus I a cl e egagem nt .n t *on y track faces 24: and 25, but also betweenthe sidefaces 23 of the tire andfaces 22 of the fiangesiwill be ha a d'tl a-t atheuppe the figure and of the wheel these portion of faces arerepresentedas out of engagement. The space between the face 2 and 25 in the upperpart of the illustration. illustrate the amountef e ance 7 ee e tricity'between the wheels.

, In Fig. 1 a. much larger amount ec centricity is exhibited at '56, butas was before stated Fig.1 is in'the nature of a diagram. Fig 1 ll strat e positio f the rack wheel and drivewheel-when th ee s e under loadand in motion, and illustrates the axis, 114:, of. th s the runs 15. ofthetrack. wheel, as witness it distance behind th -ver iea in whi isdrawn from between the in Fig. 3

r v heel norm lly behind theaxis 11 o t t ack. whee t h point 5.0.5which. i th ent r o the reg not'eona t of the track whe l wi htheneadrsurface 5.10;-

In Fig. 2 the ax s 1,5 and l are sh wn i alinemen upon. he vertical i1in.0 ,.e this will be attherest position of the Wheel,

' :HeJYiIig des i e ny invent n le im;

The nominati o an innerand outer wheel, said inner wheel comprising apair of outwardly directed spaced apart flanges forming a grip-tirespace opening toward the outer wheel, and an elastic grip-tire carriedby the outer wheel and lying between said flanges to engage the trackface therebetween, the tire being of such dimensions that it Will expandand engage the flanges with a driving-grip variable according to thevariations in the load.

EDWIN STANCLIFF.

Witnesses:

CHAS. LYON RUSSELL, FRED. J. DOLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

